Tamil Nadu: Rs 1.1 crore to be spent on pending road projects

Chennai: The State Highways department has allotted Rs 1.1 crore to ease traffic congestion in the long pending road extension project at Pallavaram-Kundrathur road. The existing 7-km stretch is proposed to be made a four-way facility and the move comes in the wake of the rapid urbanisation in the suburbs over the last few years leading to congested roads that resulted in an increase in the number of accidents.

After the extension of Vandalur-Minjur Road (Outer Ring Road), which officials claim that at least 30 per cent of the vehicles in the city use in a day, the vehicular movement in Kundrathur shot up considerably. This coupled with growing suburban residential localities in the vicinity has worsened the condition in the recent past.

 “In our observation, it was found that a motorist takes at least 40 minutes to cross the 7-km stretch. With numerous hospitals located in the area, the road needed a makeover. Though the project hit a roadblock and was about to be shelved due to jurisdictional issues, we have now started the first phase of the project (land acquisition),” said an official from the State Highways department. The project would be beneficial not only to the locals, but also to the residents of Pallavaram, Anakaputhur, Pammal, Thandalam and Minjur.

 “Due to urbanisation in Moulivakkam, Mugalivakkam, Gerugambakkam and Kovur, the number of vehicles plying on the roads has increased and due to this and the ongoing construction work of storm water drains along the stretch which has further narrowed the roads, the extension would be a relief,” said P. Anu, a resident of Pallavaram. Initially the project was put on hold due to lack of clarity between National Highways and the State Highways as both the departments governed different roads connecting the stretch. However, the project has finally been taken up.

The Mahabalipuram-Chengalpet stretch would also be made a four-way facility soon. The Tamil Nadu government earlier wrote to the Union transport ministry seeking approval to widen a total of 19 stretches across the State. It is learnt the Union ministry recently gave an administrative nod to widen the path along Mahabalipuram-Chengalpet road. The move is directed towards easing the traffic congestion during festival time. For the past two years, the stretch was completely choked during festivals as all the buses in the South plying to Chengalpet were diverted towards ECR to reduce snarls from Perungalathur to Chengalpet.